The New York Yankees return to the Bronx on Wednesday night with their season hanging in the balance after dropping the first two games of their American League Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Game 3 is set for 8:00 p.m. ET, with the action airing on TBS and truTV.
Tampa Bay took the opener 1-0 before following it up with a 5-2 win in Game 2, putting New York one loss away from elimination. The Yankees have managed only five hits through the first two games of the series, with Ben Rice accounting for both of their runs Monday night on a pair of solo home runs.
The bigger issue in Game 2 was what happened in the field. New York committed four errors, including three in the first inning, and Tampa Bay eventually broke the game open with a four-run fifth. The Yankees will now try to put that performance behind them as the series moves to Yankee Stadium.
Max Fried gets the ball with New York needing a win to force Game 4. The left-hander will be opposed by Nick Martinez, who finished the regular season with a 15-6 record and 3.10 ERA for Tampa Bay.
The Rays can punch their ticket to the American League Championship Series with a win, while the Yankees have no room left for any other mistakes.
Rays vs. Yankees Odds Today
Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook has the Yankees favored as the series shifts to New York:
Rays vs. Yankees Prediction
New York Yankees Moneyline (-165): There is no hiding from what happened in Tampa. The Yankees have been held to two runs in this series, committed four errors in Game 2 and now find themselves one loss away from elimination.
Wednesday gives them a chance to reset at Yankee Stadium, and there is a noteworthy Stats Hub trend supporting a response at home: New York has won each of its last 14 home games following a loss.
Fried gives us another reason to back the Yankees in Game 3. The left-hander has faced Tampa Bay seven times in his career and gone 5-1 with a 1.81 ERA, consistently giving Tampa trouble at the dish.
The matchup against Nick Martinez also plays into New York’s favor. Rice is 4-9 with three doubles against him, while Cody Bellinger is 5-17 with a home run. Trent Grisham has four hits in six at-bats against Martinez, three of them doubles.
New York simply needs to play a cleaner game, give Fried some run support and take advantage of finally being back at home after a rough two-game stretch at Tropicana Field.
- Best Bet: New York Yankees Moneyline (-165)
Rays vs. Yankees Betting Splits
Hard Rock Bet players are backing New York to extend the series in Game 3:
- The Yankees have attracted 59.4% of all moneyline bets, but the Rays hold a slight edge in handle at 51.3%.
- Tampa Bay +1.5 has received 59% of run line wagers, while Yankees -1.5 has accounted for 73% of the money wagered.
- The Under 7.5 is the more popular side of the total with 55.8% of tickets and 62.1% of the handle.
Most-Bet Player Props for ALDS Game 3
As one of the hottest hitters in the series, Ben Rice headlines the most-bet player props for Game 3:
- Ben Rice – Over 0.5 Hits
- Cody Bellinger – Over 0.5 Hits
- Yandy DĂaz – Over 0.5 Hits
- Junior Caminero – Over 0.5 Hits
- Ben Rice – Over 0.5 Home Runs
Rays vs. Yankees Game Info
- đź“Ť Where: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York
- đź“… Date: Wednesday, October 7
- ⏰ First Pitch: 8:00 PM ET
- đź“ş TV: TBS
- âšľ Probable Pitchers:
- Rays: Nick Martinez
- Yankees: Max Fried
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